Right Place, Wrong Time
by hauntingchristine
Summary: No matter what, she promised herself, she would never let herself fall in love with Harry Osborn. Of course, Tessa promised herself a lot of other things as well, but this one she would keep. Eventually. Harry/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Right Place, Wrong Time**

/*\

**1 - Tessa**

Gwen reached out and touched the side of Tessa's face, lifting her head up and peering into the brunette's eyes. She sighed, dropped her hands, and rummaged through her bag before pulling out a tissue. Tessa took it eagerly, blowing her nose and dropping it into the trashcan they passed by. "Peter gave that to you, didn't he?"

Tessa nodded unhappily. "I had no clue he was sick. Isn't it common courtesy to tell someone? I just wanted one bite of his ice cream and suddenly I'm sicker than he was." Tessa sneezed, quickly covering her mouth with her elbow. She whimpered, her eyes red and watery.

"Are you sure you still want to come today?" Gwen asked, worried, eyeing Tessa. "I'm sure I could reschedule it for another day-"

"No, no, don't, I'm fine." Tessa sniffed and dug her hands into her pockets. "I _want _to go. If there's any chance I could get a job here, I'll go. And besides, Peter would never let me live it down if I didn't go through with it."

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"I have a... habit of not going through with things," Tessa replied mindlessly, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm trying to work on it."

Nodding, Gwen dropped the subject. "So, has Peter said anything to you? About our breakup?"

Tessa rolled her shoulders. "Why would he tell me anything?"

"You guys have known each other _forever_, so I expected he'd tell you something." Gwen shrugged. "You guys are basically siblings."

"True, but I don't think he'd tell me about something like that." Tessa adjusted the bag over her shoulder. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, to be honest. He really loves you."

Gwen gave Tessa a small smile. "And how come you haven't found anyone yet?" she asked, bumping into the girl's shoulder. "What happened to Jake?"

"We just... weren't compatible," Tessa said after a moment.

"But he was perfect for you, Tess," Gwen shot back. "Nice, polite, really into art-"

"But he could never hold a conversation with me." Tessa crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "And he wasn't that smart, to be honest. Not like I want a guy who has a PHd or something, but it'd be nice to have a guy with a little intelligence."

Gwen smiled. "I can understand that."

/*\

Tessa had been to Oscorp before. Once before with Peter, and she'd walked to the doors with Gwen a few days because one of her art classes had been on the way. But it still managed to throw her off guard whenever she walked in.

"So, what do I do?" Tessa asked instantly. "Be your faithful servant?"

"Pretty much." Gwen made a gesture with her hand. "Now go get me some coffee."

Ever faithful, Tessa took a look around. Just a few feet from where they were standing, a few cups of coffee rested on a cart. Making sure no one was watching, she grabbed one and handed it over to Gwen, who scoffed. "You got lucky, Collins."

"I'm just doing my job, Stacy," Tessa replied easily.

"Oh, come on," she said, thrusting the cup back into Tessa's hands, who sipped it anyways. Gwen's face contorted into one of disgust. "That's gross, Tessa. You don't know whose coffee that was."

Tessa pointed towards the cart. "I bet you that cart is _there _just so employees can take a cup!"

"You're not an employee."

"Not _yet_. I'm thinking ahead."

"Oh, yes, sorry, my bad."

The elevator was empty besides the two of them, and Tessa finished her coffee. "Okay. So tell me, is it _actually _possible for me to get a job here? You're not just bringing me because Peter asked you to, right?"

Gwen frowned and shook her head. "No, of course not. Besides, Peter didn't ask me. He brought it up and I mentioned that you could come with me for a day to see how you liked it. I could try and get you an interview, too-"

"You're doing way too much for me already," Tessa interjected, cheeks red. "I can do the rest myself."

Gwen paused. "...If you're sure."

"I'm sure." Tessa nodded, completely unsure. Eager to change the subject, Tessa cleared her throat. "So, have you told Peter about that Oxford thing yet?"

Gwen shook her head. "No. Besides, it's a lot of other kids going for it. It's not like they've narrowed it down yet, and even when they do, I probably won't be picked-"

"Right. The day you're not picked is the day that I become ruler of the world."

"I shouldn't get my hopes up too high, right? And I wouldn't want to worry him over something that might not even happen."

"I understand that."

The doors opened and Gwen led Tessa towards her desk. They managed to find another chair and Tessa spun around as Gwen logged into her computer. When Gwen gave her a look, Tessa stopped and popped her feet up onto the desk, crossing her ankles. "So, what do I do now?"

"Give me a second," Gwen murmured as she typed something.

"Fine, ignore me," Tessa said in mock-sadness, pulling out her phone. She surfed through the internet for a moment, before going rigid in her seat. She sat up, her legs falling from the table. "Gwen, Gwen, Gwen?"

The blonde turned. "Yes?"

"Is it true that Harry Osborn is the head of Oscorp now?"

Gwen paused. "Yes. How did you _not _know?"

Memories of spending two whole nights awake helping Peter with fix and clean his suit entered Tessa's mind, and she shook them out instantly. She shrugged. "I've been busy. But that means he's probably here, right?"

"Probably, yeah." Gwen watched as Tessa moved down in the seat. "And why's that a bad thing?"

"Mostly because of the incident," Tessa told her after a moment. "I haven't told you about that, have I?"

"Nope." Gwen turned around fully in her seat, clasping her hands between her knees. "And now you're telling me the entire thing."

"There's honestly not much to tell," Tessa replied, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Peter and I were friends with him when we were younger, and I... I pushed him into a pool. The worst thing about it was that it was super cold and we weren't even dressed to go swimming."

"What caused you to do _that_?"

"I was seven and I had a crush on him," Tessa retorted. "It seemed like the most logical thing to do."

Gwen laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "That's kind of cute, Tess."

"Not when he got mad about it! I mean, I don't blame him, and Peter told me after that he wasn't really all that mad, but I still wasn't able to look him in the eye," Tessa blurted, shaking her head. "And then he left when we were eleven so I never got the chance to properly apologize."

"Well, maybe now's your chance," Gwen offered.

"Right." Tessa sighed, shaking her head. "I don't think so."

/*\

"But I don't really _want _to go downstairs without you," Tessa argued. "What if someone asks to see my ID? Or I get in trouble?"

"Tell them you're with me," Gwen said simply. "They'll call and I can confirm."

"And you're _sure _I won't be arrested?"

"I'm sure."

"...Alright."

"Have fun, Tess."

Turning on her heel with a promise to make sure she made the coffee extra bad as payback, Tessa strolled towards the elevator. Once she was inside, she glanced around, still awed by everything. Her phone rang in her hand, and she answered it on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Tessa! How's it going?" Peter's voice was loud in her ear.

"You're calling me while you're in the air, aren't you?" Tessa replied, laughing. "I can hear the wind."

"You got me. How's work coming along?"

"Well, it's not my work yet." She leaned up against the wall, eyes wandering around the building, watching people move around on the other floors. "But Gwen was talking about possibly getting me an interview."

"Really? Awesome!"

"Yeah, completely awesome. But I don't know if it's really for me."

"What? Come on, Tessa, you love that kind of stuff. You'd be perfect."

"I don't know, maybe." She twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "To quote Gwen Stacy, 'I shouldn't get my hopes up too high.'"

Peter paused on the other end. "When did she say that?"

Catching her mistake, Tessa coughed. "Oh, man, I think we're breaking up. What? I can't hear you-"

"Tessa, I swear to-"

"Hmm? The line is all static, I swear-" When the elevator doors opened and Harry Osborn entered, Tessa coughed loudly and turned away quickly. "I really gotta go, Peter. Bye." She hung up and stuffed the phone in her pocket, turning her head ever so slightly to wearily stare at him.

He gave her nothing but a small smile and a nod.

She frowned; didn't he know who she was? She didn't want to sound rude or anything, but she recognized him in a heartbeat. Did she change that much? She turned to face forward again, still trying to see him out of the corner of her eye. She swallowed, paused, and then gave a big smile. "Hi!"

"Hi," he replied slowly. Tessa scowled inwardly when there was absolutely no recognition in his eyes.

Not like she _needed _him to recognize her. After a moment she rocked back on her heels. "I'm Tessa Collins."

He looked at her again. "Harry Osborn."

"I... I know." Flexing her fingers in her pockets, she sneezed, and then squared her shoulders. "I don't mean to sound weird, or anything, but don't you remember me? I pushed you into a pool when we were seven. I screamed and ran afterwards?"

He laughed, and Tessa, wondering if she had just made herself look like the biggest fool, took a step back.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get upset," he said after a moment, and Tessa let out a sigh, realizing he had known all along it'd been her. "You always seemed to get mad when someone didn't remember you."

She rubbed her arm. "Bad quality of mine, I guess. It's been forever, though, hasn't it?"

"Yeah. Peter visited me yesterday. He didn't tell you?"

"No. I'll ask him why after the fact." She cleared her throat, her cheeks growing red. "I figure now is as good as any time to apologize for that whole incident, right? The throwing you in the pool one?"

He smirked. "Are you actually apologizing?"

Tessa crossed her arms. "I've gotten mature during the past few years. I'm rather sophisticated."

The elevators doors opened and they both left. Tessa had no clue where the cafeteria was, so she opted to just blindly follow Harry and hope for the best. "I had no clue you worked here," he said after a moment, as they turned a corner.

"I don't," she stated simply. "I came to visit for a day."

"With who?"

"Gwen Stacy," she replied.

He nodded, and Tessa wondered if Peter had told him about her. How must he have worded it? It was complicated, Tessa thought. That's what it was. "But," she continued, "I need a job here. And Gwen was talking about she could probably arrange me an interview, but now I don't need one, right?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on. We're friends, right? And besides, you, like, own everything. You could get me in." Tessa playfully elbowed him. "I'm smart. You wouldn't be hiring an idiot."

"Are you positive?"

"Of course! You can check out my test scores!"

They had stopped at a door, and Tessa rested her elbow on the outside as he opened it. "Where are we?" she asked, peering inside.

"My office."

She wrinkled her nose. "Could you tell me where the cafeteria is?"

He paused for a moment. "Maybe if you wander around enough, you'll find it." He shut the door, and she frowned, wondering if anything had really changed.

"You suck," she said hotly, turning on her heel.

/*\

**A/N: **This is super short, but I really wanted to post it! The chapters will get longer, I promise. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**2 - Jobs**

/*\

"Do you _know _what will happen if you touch any part of my ice cream? I'll turn into someone dangerous. You thought that lizard man you fought last year was tough? He will be _nothing _compared to what I'll turn into."

Peter frowned. "I just wanted a bite."

Tessa stabbed her spoon into the container and took another bite of her ice cream, shaking her head furiously. "You say that now, but I can bet you that if I had allowed you some, you would have taken way more than that."

"So?"

"So?" Tessa mocked, her voice rising in pitch. "No, I am not allowing you any bite of my ice cream. That's final. You should've bought your own."

He frowned, moving around a woman who was trying to speak to her child. "I would have if you had told me you wouldn't share."

"Not my problem." Tessa finished the rest of it before tossing it into the trash. She brushed her hair off her shoulder and adjusted her bag. "So how are things with Gwen? Have you even talked to her recently?"

He gave her a look as though he didn't want to talk about, but she knew she'd have to bring up the subject. Otherwise how would he ever speak to her again? "No, not really."

"Well, you should. Even if you guys can't rekindle your relationship, you can still be friends."

When he didn't respond, Tessa reached over and pinched him on the cheek. He jerked away from her, slapping her hand away. "What's wrong with _you_?"

"Don't be such a baby and talk to her! Believe me, she's not angry at you anymore." Tessa briefly thought back to her and Gwen's conversation about Oxford, and Tessa wondered if Gwen had come anywhere close to thinking about mentioning it to Peter yet. "So, if you call her sometime, I think you guys might be able to pursue a friendship."

He eyed her for a moment. "She's not mad at me?"

"Not anymore," Tessa confirmed. "She probably wants to talk to you as much as you want to talk to her."

He got off the topic quickly. "How was the job experience the other day?"

"Stressful." She punched him in the shoulder, aiming to be playfully angry. "And I cannot believe you didn't let me know that Harry Osborn was back and the new head of the company!"

He moved away from her hand. "I was going to tell you! Just not... then."

"Why? It would have saved me a lot of worry. I totally could've avoided him a lot easier if I had known." Tessa crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's exactly why. You have a habit of avoiding things you don't want to do." He shrugged. "I saved you a lot of regret."

"Whatever. The only good thing that came out of it was that I finally apologized for the incident all those years ago." They had finally made it on the street that led to Tessa's house when her cell phone went off in her hand. She furrowed her eyebrows, looking at the number. "I don't know this one... Should I answer?"

Peter gave her a grin. "I think you should."

It took a moment for everything to click in her head, and she shook her head, stopping on the sidewalk. "You did _not _give him my number, Peter Parker?"

He shrugged, trying to maintain an innocent look. "So what if I did?"

"No, that is not cool," she shot back. "What if I gave your number out to random girls I met? Random guys?"

"He's not random," Peter pointed out. "You know him. And besides, he could have found your number anyways. I'll talk to you later, Tess."

"Ugh!" She waited until Peter was out of sight, and then pressed 'answer' on her phone, holding it up to her ear. "What do you want?"

"Is that the way you answer everyone on the phone?" Harry asked, amused.

"Only the people I dislike." She sat down on the steps of her apartment, twirling the strap of her bag between her finger. "And it's polite to ask someone their number. Not just get it from one of their friends."

"Would you have _honestly _given it to me if I had asked?"

She grinned, despite knowing he wouldn't be able to see it. "Nope!"

Tessa could practically hear him rolling his eyes. "And then how would I have been able to tell you you got a job?"

"You got me the _job_?" Tessa squealed, jumping up on the steps. An older woman walking by gave her a dark look, and Tessa waved her hand, silently apologizing.

"No."

Sighing, Tessa sunk back down, her chin falling into her free hand. "Then what was the point of calling? You know what? Never mind. I'm hanging up-"

"I may have not gotten you a job, but I got you an _interview_."

"I suppose that's the next best thing, then." Attempting to act as though she wasn't excited, she crossed her legs. "When is it?"

"Monday."

"Awesome!" She paused for a moment, her hand on the railing. She chewed her lip thoughtfully and sighed. "Thanks. I guess."

"You're welcome. I guess."

She scoffed, rolled her eyes, and hung up.

/*\

"Does this look okay?" Tessa asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. Her fingers smoothed over her skirt, fiddled with her bracelet, and adjusted the collar of her shirt. She glanced up at Gwen nervously. "I want to look sophisticated."

Gwen reached over and touched Tessa's elbow. "You look _fine_, Tess."

Managing a smile, Tessa nodded, unsure. "Thanks."

"Be sure to tell me how it goes?" Gwen stopped by the elevators. "Maybe you'll even get the desk next to me. It was recently left."

"I hope so." Tessa beamed and gave Gwen a hug. "Thanks again!"

/*\

Tessa had just slipped her jacket on and had gotten out the doors when someone matched her pace and strode next to her. She turned to glance at them and raised her eyebrows. "Harry?" she asked. "What are you doing coming out of the building you're in charge of?"

"Taking a break." He adjusted the sunglasses he was wearing and grinned down at her. "And did you just leave your interview?"

Moving her hair behind her ear, Tessa nodded.

"How about going with me to grab a coffee?"

She paused for a moment, hand still on the railing. She made a show of reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone, checking the time. "I guess that's okay. Only if you pay, however."

He smirked over at her. "Of course."

/*\

Crossing her ankles as she sat ontop of the railing, she took a sip of her coffee and glanced out over the water. Beside her, Harry rested his elbows next to her knees. He'd taken off his sunglasses when they'd entered the cafe, and hadn't bothered to put them back on. Eager to end the silence, Tessa cleared her throat. "So, Peter tells me you have a supermodel girlfriend?"

"Did," he corrected simply.

"Did?" Tessa echoed. "What happened?"

He looked over at her, seemingly unamused. "We broke up."

Tessa scoffed. "Well, I know _that_." But she didn't press the matter. Her fingers curled into her coffee cup and she crossed her ankles. "Any supermodels you could set me up with?"

He frowned, thoughtful. "I thought you were dating someone?"

She wrinkled her nose up. "Who told you that? I've haven't had a boyfriend for... three months. I've enjoyed the single life, but it's time to shake it up a bit."

He shrugged. "I just assumed."

"You shouldn't assume," Tessa murmured. She suddenly made a noise, freeing her right hand from holding her cup so that it could shield her eyes. "The sun is kind of bright today, isn't it?"

"Here." She looked down to find him holding out the sunglasses he'd been previously wearing to her. They looked ridiculously expensive, but she took them anyways, giving her thanks. She slipped them over her nose and grinned, craning her neck around to look at everything she could set her eyes on.

"These are _nice_," she commented. "Thank you for getting me that interview, by the way."

"I can't take all the credit. Your friend Gwen Stacy had a little part in it too."

"She did? I'll have to thank her." Tessa's heart thumped in her chest, and she chewed her lower lip. "I'm still super nervous about that interview. I don't even really need a desk job or anything, I'd be perfectly fine sweeping the floors-"

"Honestly, Tessa," Harry said, annoyed, "You did fine."

Raising an eyebrow, the brunette turned towards him. "And how would you know that? Did you listen in?"

"Do you really think I'd do that?"

"I wouldn't put it past you."

"From what I've gotten from you in our last visit, and from what Peter's told me, you seem fine. And smart. Peter says you're the third of your class in Midtown?"

Her lips twisted into a wry smile. "Right after Gwen and Peter."

He gave her an actual smile. "Then you have nothing to worry about, Tessa."

Feeling a bit more relieved, Tessa grinned back. "Thanks." She stretched her legs out in front of her, balancing for a moment. "Now, let's get off this railing thing. I'm losing feeling my legs." She turned and hopped down. She swung her bag over her shoulders, finished the last of her coffee, and turned to Harry. "We can walk around for a bit. I still have time before I have to be home."

He nodded, agreeing with her, and they started down the street. "Curfew?" he asked her.

Tessa nodded meekly. "Yeah. My dad's been pretty strict on rules and such ever since my mom passed away."

Some emotion flickered in his eyes, but Tessa couldn't quite place it. "I'm sorry, Tessa."

She waved off his concern. "Don't worry about it. It was six years ago."

"Your mother was a wonderful woman."

Tessa's lips curved up into a smile. "You're only saying that because she adored you. Even more than she adored Peter! Which was saying something, because she loved Peter."

He laughed with her, and they spoke for an hour or so longer before they ended up in front of Tessa's apartment. She swung her arms out in front of her, wasting a few more moments of time, her mouth working. Finally, she sighed. "Thank you again. For the interview and the coffee and such... Thanks."

"Don't worry about it, Tessa," he told her, for what seemed like the tenth time that night.

She pulled off his sunglasses and handed them back to him, her fingers brushing the edges of them. "Those really are nice," she muttered, but gave him a smile anyways. "I'll see you soon, I guess. If what you're saying is correct."

"And what am I saying?"

"That the interview went well and I'm all set for a job at Oscorp," Tessa clarified.

She was about to comment further when the door opened, revealing a stern-looking man. Tessa turned, hands on her hips, glaring. "Can't you give me three more minutes before barging out here, Dad?"

"I thought I heard screaming," he lied, not even looking at Tessa anymore. He was focused on Harry, and Tessa rolled her eyes.

"I'll be there in a moment!" she said loudly, and her father looked between them once more before shutting the door. She turned to Harry and shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry about him. Like I said, overly protective and such."

"I doubt he remembers me," Harry commented.

"Well, he was always away on business and stuff," Tessa said wearily, and shook her head. "I should be getting inside anyways. Thanks again." She waved once more before turning and bounding up the steps towards her house.

/*\

**A/N: **All the reviews make me so happy! I would have had this chapter up quicker, but school gave me so much homework to finish and such. Hope you enjoy~


	3. Chapter 3

**3 -**

/*\

The dog barked, and Tessa's elbow jerked, knocking over one of the three frames she had resting on the corner of her desk. She cursed, picking it up and examining it for any damage. She brushed a speck of dust off the top and placed it neatly back in the pile, eyes pausing a little longer on them. All three had been taken during Graduation.

The first one was Tessa with her father. His arm was around her shoulders and she was smiling brightly, eyes sparkling in the light. She had her 'I just graduated and am now an adult' look on her face. Her father looked younger, almost, not as worn. They didn't look much alike; Tessa had always been a smaller version of her mother.

The one behind it was the one she'd taken with Peter and Gwen. Peter had one arm outstretched, having taken the picture on his phone. The other one was around Tessa, who was beaming. Gwen had her arms around the two of them, looking bright. Tessa smiled and remembered how her father had rolled his eyes at their antics, turning back to Peter's aunt to talk.

And the last picture she'd taken that day had been with Maria, her closest friend besides Peter and Gwen. They had their cheeks pressed together and their eyes shut as they hugged tightly. Tessa had gotten a random mother to take the photo, and they had to spend at least five minutes clinging to each other while the woman had figured out how to take it. (Speaking of Maria, she'd been meaning to give back the book she'd borrowed from her.)

Tessa sighed and shook her head. Another bark startled her.

_Oh. Yeah. I completely forgot about Key._

Hopping up from her chair and going out into the main room, Tessa found her border collie pacing by the open door, his ears down and his tongue out. "How's it going, Key?" She reached down to scratch behind his ears. "What's the matter?"

He whined and pawed at the door. "Okay, okay." Tessa grabbed the leash from the counter and hooked it up to his collar. "We'll go for a walk, okay?"

Outside, Tessa pulled her coat on as they started down the sidewalk. "Just a quick little walk, Key. I have to finish a few things."

They had just started the return walk back when someone fell into step beside her. "Fancy meeting you here."

Glancing up, she had already knew it was Harry before she spotted him. "What are you doing walking around?"

"Taking a break again," he told her.

"You take an awful lot of breaks for someone who is the head of a company," Tessa pointed out jokingly, gripping onto Key's leash tighter as he pulled harder.

He shrugged. "It can be kind of stressful." He narrowed his eyes as Key tugged harder, nearly sending Tessa off her feet. Just barely reigned him in before he trampled a small child, and she apologized profusely. "What are you doing?"

"Walking my dog," Tessa retorted. "It's something us peasants do."

"You make it seem as though the dog is walking _you_." He looked surprised at the fact that Key could pull Tessa off her own two feet. Had he ever walked a huge, strong dog before? Tessa wondered briefly. "It can't be that hard."

Tessa cocked her head. "Oh really?" She held up Key's leash. "Want to give it a shot?"

He paused for a moment before taking it from her. "Sure." She grinned back.

"Go on, Key." Her voice lowered, and her eyes glinted in the sun. "_Run_."

Not able to understand what she was saying, Harry only had enough time to shoot her a confused look before Key started to bolt, taking off faster than even Tessa had seen him run. Harry stumbled, catching himself before darting off into to keep up with the dog. Tessa cheered from her spot on the curb, arms raised above her head.

She nearly doubled over in laughter when they ran by again. Harry barely got out "Tessa, he won't _stop_" when they ran by, and tears sprang to her eyes. Her cheeks hurt and her throat burned, but when she saw them coming back she stepped out in front of Key and held out her hand. The dog nearly collided with her palm but he slowed himself down, panting.

Tessa, hoarse from the laughter, beamed up at Harry, who looked very annoyed. "I told you it was difficult."

"No you didn't." He handed back the leash and brushed off his pants.

Tessa glanced at them as she straightened. Another laugh escaped her mouth before she composed herself. "He's not normally that chaotic. I provoked him." The corner of her lips twitched, but she bit back the laughter.

"Aren't you going to apologize?" He sounded as though he were half-joking, half-serious, but Tessa couldn't quite be sure.

Still a little guilty, Tessa bent down and curtsied slightly. "I'm sorry, your Highness."

He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Be gone, peasant."

She laughed loudly, and waved goodbye, turning. "Bye!" she called over her shoulder, before jogging to catch up with Key.

/*\

"What if _I _were Spiderman?"

"Oh no." Peter's eyes widened comically and he sat back in his chair, looking right through Tessa. She dropped her arm off the edge of his bed, drawing lazy circles on the floor. "I've seen that scenario, and it scares me more than anything I've ever known."

Tessa snorted. "Be serious, Peter." She rolled over onto her stomach, glaring at him. "If I were the one who'd been bitten by the spider, and it somehow worked, would I be a good Spiderman?"

"I don't know. Possibly." He squinted at her. "Do you have pen on your forehead?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." She rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead, cheeks turning red. "I fell asleep on my desk last night, while I was doodling. Does it look bad?" She removed her hand so he could look at it.

After a long moment, he nodded. "Yeah. Looks fine."

"It _doesn_'_t_!" Tessa cried, and with a flourish she rolled off the bed, landing on the floor. Hopping to her feet, she pulled out her phone and stared at it. "Oh my _goodness_, it looks like a pen exploded on my head! Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because I wasn't paying attention to it," he told her. "Your bangs cover it."

She frowned, and went to rub it off when her phone rang. She stared at it. "I don't know this number," she mumbled.

Resting his chin on his hand, Peter fiddled with a pen on his desk. "Maybe it's Harry."

"Nah, he has a contact now," Tessa spoke, and pressed the button, lifting it quickly to her ear. "Hello? Yes, this is her."

Peter halfheartedly listened, mostly watching the way she fidgeted, pacing back and forth in the small room, her hands clenching and unclenching, fingers moving a mile a minute. She chewed her lip, she chewed her cheek, and rocked up and down on her heels. Her eyes swept back to Peter and she gave him a smile; he sent her back a confused look, as if to say _What are you even talking about_?

Finally, she stopped by the door, her free hand rising up to clutch at her necklace. "Are you s_erious_? I mean, thank you! Thank you so much! I will. Okay!" She hung up, dropped her phone and charged at Peter, hugging him tightly.

The impact caused them to spin around, and when she landed back on the ground she cheered. Peter grabbed her arms to keep her from twirling around again, and he shook her slightly. "What happened?"

"I got the job!" she yelled loudly, throwing her head back in happiness.

"What? That's great, Tessa!"

She snatched her backpack off the floor and threw it over her shoulders, opening the door. He raised an eyebrow as he watched her pass. "Where are you going?"

"To tell everyone I've ever talked to and met," she said, and then stopped, leaning back in the room. "And tell Gwen thank you."

"You know I haven't spoken to her since we broke up," Peter said hesitantly.

"Then maybe you should start talking to her again," Tessa said matter-of-factly, and took her leave.

/*\

"I got the job, Maria!" The librarian's eyes quickly found Tessa, and the older woman shushed her. Tessa ducked her head and blushed, raising her arm and attempting to apologize. Her friend rolled her eyes and continued searching through the row of books. "It's a big deal!" Tessa continued, in a considerably lower voice.

"I know," Maria replied, giving Tessa a smile. "I'm proud of you, Tessie."

Tessa scowled. "You did _not _just call me Tessie."

"I've been calling you Tessie for three years now. Get used to it." The brunette turned and touched Tessa kindly on the shoulder. "But seriously, I'm proud of you! When do you start?"

"Next week." Tessa, in an attempt to act as if she were actually there to browse books. "I'm almost off the walls in excitement."

"I don't blame you." Maria pulled a book off the shelf, examined it, and grinned. "Now, let's get this book and head out to grab something to eat."

/*\

"It's a simple job, really. Nothing compared to yours." Adjusting her skirt, Tessa stepped into the elevator with Gwen. "I basically just help out. Where I can." A large smile split across her face and she sighed wistfully. "I don't even care what I have to do. I have a _job_."

"I don't know if I've ever known someone as excited about a job as you." Gwen smiled back.

Reaching over, Tessa touched Gwen's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for getting me the interview."

Gwen shook off Tessa's sentiments. "Don't worry about it, Tess. You deserve it."

The doors opened and Tessa skipped out, caught up in her mind. She was a whirlwind of thoughts, all of them too big to capture. Her forehead collided with someone's shoulder, and she stumbled back into Gwen. The blonde caught her, surprised, and steadied her. Tessa winced, pressing her hand to her forehead.

Once the pain subsided, she gaped up at the man she'd hit. "I am _so _sorry!"

It didn't seem like the collision had impacted him much; he gave her a small smile before brushing past them and moving towards the elevator. "Have a nice day-" her eyes searched on his nametag before continuing, "Max!"

He opened his mouth like he wanted to reply, but the doors shut.

"He seems nice," Gwen said, turning away from the closed doors.

"Yeah... What a way to start my day." Mortified, Tessa tucked her hair behind her ear. She walked Gwen to her desk, and pressed her hands into the side of it. "I wonder where I should go first. Would it be bad to wander?"

"On your first day? Yes." Gwen logged into her computer. "Wait until your second week."

"Duly noted."

Before Tessa could leave, Gwen reached out and grabbed Tessa's sleeve, keeping her back for a moment. "Were you the reason Peter texted me the other day?"

Tessa's lips curved into a smirk. "Why? Did you answer?"

Gwen's cheeks turned red, and she sat back in her chair, letting her hands fall in her lap. "...No. I didn't know what to say."

"You can't not text back, Gwen," Tessa drawled. "Here. I'll answer for you: Dear Peter, I think we should _definitely _get back together. And while we're at it, we should probably send Tessa on an all expenses paid trip to France! I don't know why I just thought about this brilliant idea now, but it's definitely something we must do-"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "I don't text like that."

"Sure."

Her attention back on her computer, Gwen made a gesture at Tessa. "Why don't you start working now? We're done here."

"If you say so."

Work went by fast, thankfully; Tessa copied papers, delivered a message, cleaned a desk (which she got guilted into by some man she didn't even know), ate lunch with Gwen, helped out with an experiment (which was definitely the highlight of her day), and eventually found herself collapsed against a wall, her legs curled up to her chest as she drank a cup of coffee.

It was a well deserved break, in her opinion.

"Slacking? On your first day?"

Not quite sure who it was, and not wanting to risk anything, Tessa instantly pushed herself to her feet, her face flushed. "I'm so sorry-" She stopped when she realized it was just Harry standing next to her, an amused look on his face. "Y'know what? Scratch that. Not too sorry."

"How's it been going?" he asked, ignoring her pointed glare.

She adjusted her coat and started towards the elevator doors, shrugging. "Good. _Really _good. I even cleaned a desk."

He made a face. "But you're not supposed to clean-"

"I know." Tessa shook her head. "But I felt bad for him, so I sucked it up." She thrust her coffee cup into his hands, and he grabbed it before it could make a mess. "I'll see you later." She stepped into the elevator and gave her floor number.

He followed, much to her dismay, looking rather annoyed at her antics. "We're going the same way."

"You can't keep interrupting me on my job. It'll look bad."

"I haven't talked to you once today."

"People will talk."

"About what? The fact we're in the same elevator."

"Rumors will start."

"You're making absolutely no sense whatsoever, Tessa."

Grinning brightly at him, she clasped her hands behind her back. "Just wasting time, I guess."

"Well, quit it. You're being annoying." She turned to snap at him, but when he smiled charmingly at her, she lost the words. "You have pen marks on your forehead, by the way."

Her hands came up quickly to shield her skin. "_What_?"

He merely laughed as he exited, leaving her to worry about her reflection.

/*\

**A/N: **All the reviews make me so happy! Thanks to each and everyone one of you! Sorry about any spelling/grammar errors.


	4. Chapter 4

**4 -**

/*\

"I am _so _angry!" Tessa fumed, tossing around the newspaper she held in her hand. There were a few tears from where she'd dug her nails into the thin paper. She crossed her arms and glanced down at it again, shaking her head in disgust. "I swear, they turn everything into rumors, you know?"

Peter hadn't glanced up from his laptop, fingers moving rapidly at the keys.

Annoyed, Tessa hit him over the head with the newspaper. He frowned, glancing up at her. "What were you saying?"

"_Look_!" She shoved the paper in his face, using her pointer finger to tap at the headline.

It was the picture of yesterday morning, when she had stopped to fix his mask. The picture hadn't gotten her laughing, her fingers tugging down the edges where his mask had rode up. She hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but the article attached to the picture was making it out to be as though she was the closest friend of Spiderman - and technically she _was_, but no one was supposed to know that!

He paused, eyes moving over it. "...That is kinda bad."

"But I don't get why it's me?" she continued, pacing the small length of his room. She folded her arms over her chest tightly. "I mean, you and Gwen swing around everywhere, but no one ever picks up on that?"

Peter shrugged, placing the newspaper on the table. "You have the wrong timing, Tess."

"...Yeah," she sighed. "But you were the one complaining about your mask! It's your fault I'm in this mess."

Scoffing, Peter turned back to his computer. "Whatever you say."

Reaching to grab her bag from the chair and throwing her jacket over her arm, Tessa sneered. "Fine, if you're not listening... I'm going to work." He didn't look up or acknowledge her statement. "And also, I'm dating Gwen now. We fell in love after you guys broke up." He didn't make a sound. "We're moving to Germany tomorrow. We didn't want to tell you, but I guess the secret's out."

"Have fun," Peter spoke up finally, giving Tessa a smile.

"Jerk," Tessa muttered before slamming the door shut. She rolled her eyes and started out the door, pausing to wave to Peter's aunt and then heading out into the city.

/*\

"There's _another _one?" Outraged, Tessa tore at her copy of the newspaper. Gwen had told her once Tessa had arrived to work.

Sure enough, there was one most picture Tessa hadn't found. It was one of after she'd fixed his mask, and they had been talking. Her arms were up in a half-shrug, her mouth open as she told him to be careful. Tessa huffed, running a hand through her bangs and shaking her head. "I guess I can't associate with Spiderman anymore."

"You just happened to be there at the wrong time," Gwen tried. "I mean, I used to talk to him all the time and no one ever caught us."

Tessa shrugged. "I just have the most horrible luck, I guess."

"I don't think they even really talked about you that much in the article, though, which is a good thing." Gwen flipped through it a few times, checking everything over. "Maybe you just looked photogenic enough."

"Whatever you say." Tessa placed the newspaper back on Gwen's desk. "I gotta go drop something off by an office and then I'm getting lunch. Wanna meet up then?"

Gwen nodded, and Tessa set off.

She had just come down the stairs when she collided with someone, stumbling back a step. Her heel caught on the stair above it and she went down, letting out a noise in the back of her throat. She landed awkwardly on her wrist, pain shooting up her arm instantly.

Mortified, she glanced up at the woman she had knocked into. "I am _so _sorry! Did I hurt you?"

The woman brushed her hair off her face and shook her head. "You didn't, but you shouldn't be asking me that. Your fall looked like it hurt!" She reached out her hand and Tessa took it with her other hand, letting the woman help her up.

"Yeah, but it doesn't really matter," Tessa said hastily, her cheeks red and hot. "I'm the one who bumped into you."

The woman grinned. "Don't worry about it."

Bending down, Tessa scooped the file she'd been holding back up into her arms. "But, I guess now would be the best time to ask for help. Do you know where this lab is?" She showed the woman the number on the outside of the file.

"I do." The woman gestured for Tessa to follow her, and the brunette followed quickly.

Feeling as though she wasn't being polite, Tessa threw out her hand, fingers outstretched. "I'm Tessa, by the way. Uh, I don't really think there's an exact name for my job - I'm everyone's assistant, basically."

She grinned, laughing at Tessa's bewilderment. "I'm Felicia. And I'm only the assistant of one person."

Tessa frowned. "Who here would need an assistant?"

"Harry Osborn?"

"Oh. _Oh_." Tessa smiled and laughed, adjusting the files in her arms. "Okay, it makes sense now. Not because I know he's busy and stuff and having an assistant would help, but mostly because he just seems like that kinda guy who needs one."

"You know him, then?"

"Yeah." Tessa shrugged; tilting her head sideways for a moment as she searched her brain. "I'd say we're friends, but, to be honest, I don't quite know myself."

Felicia paused for a moment, and then snapped her fingers. "Oh! You're Tessa Collins, correct?"

"That's me... Have you read my file or something?" Tessa turned bright red, hugging the files closer to her body. "Gwen showed me when I first started, and _someone _got the bright idea of recording the story of when I got stuck in a claw machine back when I was seven. I say someone, but I know it was definitely Harry who did it."

Felicia laughed, and when Tessa shot her a look of discontentment, she tried to stifle it. "Sorry, sorry. But you have to admit, it _is _kind of funny."

Tessa broke and a laugh fell out of her mouth, and she nodded. "Okay, yeah, it's funny."

"How do you get stuck in a claw machine, by the way?"

"I was a small kid. My friend Peter really, really wanted this stuffed animal, so, being the best friend I am, I attempted to climb in." Tessa frowned, recalling memories she wished had been left buried. "I got my upper half caught when that little door fell shut. I started to cry, and Peter and Harry had to get help." Her face had gone bright red.

Another laugh had escaped Felicia's lips, but she bit it back after a few seconds. "That must've been traumatizing."

Tessa shrugged. "It wasn't too bad. The owners of the arcade gave me free pizza."

"Ohhh, sounds yummy."

"It was fantastic," Tessa sighed wistfully.

They had rounded a long hallway now, one Tessa had never been down before. Of course, there were a lot of parts of this building she'd never been in; and probably never would be. "But, yes," Felicia continued the conversation, "I knew you. Not because of your file or anything, but Harry's mentioned you a few times before."

Tessa made a noise in the back of her throat and ran a hand through her hair. "Oh man. I'd ask if it was only good things, but I doubt it really was-"

"Well, it was only good things." Felicia shrugged at Tessa's gape. "We didn't talk about much, but the little things he said were fine."

Moving her hair behind her ear, Tessa's lips twisted up into a small smile.

They had made it to the end of the hallway and were just about to turn when one of the doors opened. She had opened her mouth to say something about Harry, but when she realized it had been him who'd come out of the doors, she promptly shut her mouth and managed to look as though she'd just saw the worst thing in the world.

"Tessa," he said, glancing over at her in amusement when he saw her face, "I was just looking for you." He turned to Felicia, handing her a folder like the one Tessa had. The same room number was on the front. "And could you deliver these for me?"

"Uh," Tessa interjected, "Was there something you needed to ask me? Because I have to deliver something too." She waved the files she was holding in front of him, nearly smacking him in the face.

He took them from her, glancing on the front. "They're the same office I needed mine sent too." He held out the file to Felicia. "Would you mind?"

Tessa opened her mouth to protest, because she wanted to actually work at her job and not slack her way through it, but before she could say anything Felicia had grabbed it easily and started off, waving her hand at Tessa before turning the corner.

"...I could've done that," Tessa said, deflated, blowing a sigh out of her lips.

"Yes, probably, but I needed to speak with you," he told her matter-of-factly, and started back down the hallway where she'd come from.

Defeated, Tessa turned to follow her. "And what did you need?"

"We can talk about it over lunch. I'm starving."

"And _I'm _eating lunch with Gwen," Tessa pressed, striding after him anyways. "I can't just bail on her-"

"Well, just call her and tell her you can't today," he continued, not giving her a chance to retaliate.

Upset, but not wanting to cause a scene, Tessa groaned and called Gwen on her phone as they rode down in the elevator. "Hey, Gwen, yeah..."

/*\

Twirling her fork in her fingers, Gwen swallowed before opening her mouth. "So, what is it you needed to speak with me about?" She frowned, chewing the inside of her cheek before continuing. "If you wanted to fire, you could've done so earlier."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not firing you, Tess."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Did you just call me Tess?"

He leaned back in the chair, watching her grin. "I was under the impression people called you that."

"They do," Tessa confirmed. "But I didn't think you'd be the type of person to do so." She cleared her throat and set her fork down. "But I didn't mean to go off topic. What is it you were saying?"

Harry glanced around for a moment before reaching out and pulling a magazine off a table near them. Tessa wondered if someone were going to come back for it; _oh well_. It was only when he passed it over to her that she noticed it was the one that held the article of her and Spiderman. She sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly, her face going red. "You wanted to talk about _this_?"

"Shouldn't you be excited?" he asked her briefly. "You met _Spiderman_."

She brushed her hair over her shoulder and glanced back down at the picture. "Well, yeah, I guess of course I was excited on some level. It's like meeting a celebrity. But it brought a lot of negative attention as well..." She guessed it was true that it was odd she was acting as though she hated having her picture taken with Spiderman. "But it was... amazing."

He took it back from and flipped to the inside. "And in this one it looks like you two are talking?"

_Damn it, Peter_! She shrugged. "I was asking him for an autograph."

He looked at her as if he couldn't believe she had just thrown out that excuse. "This picture does _not _look as though you were just asking for an autograph."

"Okay, I wasn't," Tessa said, dropping her voice low enough that he leaned across the table to listen closer. "I was... confessing my absolute love for him."

He threw her a glare and sat back, annoyed. "Can you answer anything seriously, Tessa?"

"I suppose it depends if I want to answer it," she finished softly, and stood up to throw away her food. She went to turn, and then stopped. With her cheeks red, she cleared her throat. "Could I ask _you _a question, then?"

Amusement sparked in his eyes. "Only if you tell me what you were saying to Spiderman."

"Truthfully?"

"Truthfully."

"I was telling him to be careful," she mumbled, and even though she knew that statement wouldn't give anything away, it still felt as though she were giving something out.

Interested, he stood and walked with her as she tossed her items away. They started out the door. "How nice of you."

"I'm only looking out for our resident vigilante," Tessa declared. "I would've done the same to Clark Kent, aka Superman."

Harry snorted. "If he were real."

Tessa smiled softly. "If he were real," she echoed.

They had made it back towards the building, but before they went in Tessa stopped. "I almost forgot. My question?"

He nodded, waiting for it.

"...Are we friends?"

He paused, watching as Tessa fiddled with the hem of her coat. She was biting her lip harshly, almost enough to split it open. "We were last time I checked."

A sigh of relief left her lips, but then she frowned again. "Last time we checked, we were seven and I wanted to secure the whole deal with a handshake." _I am just filled with bad childhood memories, aren't I_? Tessa thought wryly.

"And you ended up hugging me instead," he remembered, laughing.

"I got a burst of confidence and went with it," Tessa scoffed, and strode by him. "And you can bet that you're not going to be getting another friendship hug from me!"

/*\

**AN: Sorry it's been forever! I was in NJ the past few days, so. Thanks for all the reviews/faves/follows!**


	5. Chapter 5

5

/*\

She had been sleeping when someone knocked on her window.

She startled, lurching up from her bed. Her pillow slid off the side and fell to the floor, and Tessa pushed her mess of brown curls off her shoulder. It was growing warmer, and her only pajamas were her tank-top and shorts, something she'd thrown on last night when she'd realized it was almost one o'clock in the morning and she should get some sleep.

No one was at the window. And Key was still sleeping peacefully at the end of her bed, curled up. He normally was awake at the slightest presence of a stranger.

She frowned, and tugged back her pillow, hugging it to her chest. Had she imagined it?

…Yes, she concluded after two intense minutes of staring out the window and seeing nothing but a crowded New York street. She must've heard it in her dream and it startled her awake. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Tessa placed her pillow back down and let her head fall upon it, closing her eyes and hoping she could get a few more hours of sleep. There was no work today.

As soon as she started to drift off into dreamland, there was another sharp tap.

This time she knew she'd heard it. She threw back her sheet and stood, marching over to the window. She unlocked it and threw it open, leaning her head out the window. Wind rustled her hair, and she tucked it back behind her ears as she searched the area for anyone. The nearest person was far away, sitting on a bench with their back turned to her. She snorted. "I'm going crazy," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Could I please come in?" a voice asked from above her.

She yelped, her head colliding with the top of the window as she looked up quickly. She held her hands to the crown of her head to feebly try and stop the pain, her fingers pressing into her scalp. Slower this time, she glanced up. Her eyes narrowed. Peter, in his Spiderman outfit, was resting on the edge of the wall, peering down at her. "Why don't you call next time, idiot?"

She moved back from the window and he slipped in quickly. She shut it behind him and turned around, placing her hands on her hips. The top of her head throbbed. "I would've, but you wouldn't have answered."

Tessa never had her phone on ringer; it was some strange habit, but she always kept it on vibrate. Being asleep, she would have never heard it. "Fine. What's the matter?" She ran her eyes over him and stopped at a cut on his arm. "You were hurt?"

"Yeah, caught my arm on the edge of a building."

She frowned, and gestured towards the chair next to her desk. "Sit down." She opened one of the drawers on her desk and pulled out the medical supplies she kept there. She'd never once used them on herself; it was always for Peter, whenever he'd get scuffed up during the middle of the day and would happen to be close to her house. "Gwen's worried sick, by the way."

Peter had pulled off his mask, and he scowled down at her, suspicious. "Why?"

Tessa smiled sheepishly. "I may or may not have told her about when you were nearly hit by a car the other day," she admitted, twisting her hands together as she slid onto the desk for a seat. "I also may have told her about the injury you got on your leg…"

"Tess! Really?"

"I didn't mean to," she shot back. "It just came out. I didn't tell her anything else." Her hands worked fast, having been used to having to healing him. "And come on, you guys may act like this whole separation thing is working, but let's be honest – it's not."

"And how do you know that?" he retorted, leaning back in the chair. "You weren't apart of the relationship."

Tessa's lips twisted up. "It doesn't take a scientist to see that you guys miss each other." She moved around her desk, taking a moment to push her hair back up into a ponytail. "Also, you could make it a little less obvious when you stare longingly at pictures of her on your phone."

He turned to look at her, and she winked, grinning. "I don't miss anything, Parker."

"Apparently not," he responded, crossing his arms.

She patted his shoulder, scooting up onto the desk so that her legs hung off. "You're fine; I patched you all up." He thanked her, pushing his mask back on and moving to the window. He had just gotten it up when she cleared her throat, eyes soft. "It'll work out eventually."

"I hope so, Tess."

/*\

Tessa sighed as Maria passed her a pile of books, all of them ones Tessa had never heard of. She peered at the covers with some interest, sneezed at the dust that hit her in the face when she opened them, and hastily shoved them into the shelves without glancing at where they were supposed to go. She rubbed her hands on her jeans and turned back to Maria, who was glaring sharply at her.

"Those aren't supposed to go there," Maria snapped, putting her own pile down.

"I didn't agree to help you, you know." Tessa crossed her arms and moodily watched as Maria took out the same books and started putting them in their right spots. "I just came to say hello because we haven't talk in forever. And what do you do as soon as you see me? Hand me books!"

Maria rolled her eyes. "The faster we get these done, the faster we can do something."

"Fine." Tessa stuck her lip out and snatched up Maria's old pile of books. "Alphabetically by author, name, or what?"

"Author."

Going as fast as she could, Tessa glanced at the last name, found the corresponding letter on the shelf, and stuck them in the spot. Maria watched her with amusement, laughing out loud when one of the books fell back out and hit her on the head, earning a loud 'sh!' from the librarian. Tessa finished up a little after noon, and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"I could never volunteer my time there more than once a month," she told Maria as the two left through the front doors. "Animal shelters are definitely my type of thing."

"They'd be mine too if animals didn't hate me." Maria sighed in sadness and shook her head. "Anyways, what do you want to do?"

"Pet a dog," Tessa said as they both spotted Gwen in the distance. "Hi!"

Gwen slowed down to smile at them both, and the dog nearly jumped into Tessa's lap, tail wagging furiously. Tessa giggled, petting the dog, eyes lighting up. "Hi, Maria." Gwen glanced down at the brunette currently petting her dog and rolled her eyes. "Tessa."

"We were just on our way to go do something. Want to come?" Maria suggested.

Tessa scratched her fingers behind the dog's ears. "Of course she would. Who wouldn't want to hang out with us?"

"I can name a few people," Gwen joked, but nodded at both of them. "Sure. Why not?"

When Tessa finally got up and released the dog, the three of them found themselves eating lunch. Gwen had dropped her dog off at Tessa's place so he'd have Key for company.

Tessa twirled her fork in her hand, looking wickedly over at Maria. "So, my dear Maria has gotten herself a boyfriend."

Gwen grinned, and Maria shot Tessa a dark look. "No way," Gwen said. "Who is he?"

Maria made a nose.

"What?" Gwen asked, tilting her head. She hadn't heard.

"It might be David from lunch," Tessa answered for her, putting her fork down. They only called him David from lunch because that's all he had been up until now – Tessa had remembered first sitting down next to him at lunch, because all the other tables had been taken up. He sat at one end with his friends, and Tessa had sat down at the other end with all her friends. She hadn't even known Maria had talked to him until last week.

Gwen tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Is he nice?"

"Yeah, really nice," Maria spoke finally, smiling. "We met at the library."

"So that's how," Tessa mused. "I always thought you guys just made weird eye contact at lunch and called it dating."

Maria snorted. "You know what, that's exactly it."

They lapsed into silence until Maria tucked her hair behind her ear, a gesture she only did when she was a little worried. "So, Gwen, how're things with you and Peter? Still not talking?"

Gwen gave a little shrug of her shoulders. "Yeah, pretty much."

"You know, I think you guys should talk," Tessa said after a long moment of awkward silence. "He's been horrible the past few weeks because you're not around. I don't want to be stuck with him for much longer." Which wasn't true; he was often out as Spiderman, and Tessa maybe saw him every other day, if that. But it wouldn't hurt to stretch the truth a little.

The blonde made a noise. "I don't know, Tess."

"One more shot. Give it one more shot, and then see where things stand between you two."

Gwen gave Tessa a small smile. "Maybe."

Maria cleared her throat, relieved that the subject had gotten onto lighter ground. "We've talked about us," she said, pointing to her and Gwen, "but we haven't spoken about you, yet."

"There's nothing to say about me," Tessa spoke, scratching the back of her neck. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"What happened to Jake?" Maria asked.

Gwen nodded. "You guys went on a date, right?"

"About two weeks ago, guys," Tessa pointed out. "And he was sweet, but not all that… smart. I couldn't really have a conversation with him."

"Alright… Anyone you like?" Maria tried again.

It was the brief pause before Tessa's 'no' that made Gwen and Maria exchange a look. They didn't press the subject, and Tessa and Gwen headed back to her place to grab Gwen's dog before she said goodbye.

/*\

She was balancing a pen on the tip of her nose when someone approached her desk. Her eyes snapped up quickly, and when she recognized it was Harry she pulled the pen off her nose and slammed her elbows down on her desk. She twirled her pen in her fingers, plastering a smile on her face. "Hi, boss."

He frowned. "Were you fooling around?"

She gaped. "Of course not! I only do hard work around here."

He scoffed. "Right, Tessa."

She hopped up from her seat, grabbing her bag from underneath her desk. She leaned closer to him as she went to move past. "But see that guy over there?" Harry turned to look at the guy she was pointing at; he was typing diligently. "He was walking a bit too slow in front of me in the hallway the other day. Might want to fire him." She grinned and swept past, starting down the hallway herself.

"You are a bad liar," he spoke up, matching her pace.

She took a sharp turn on purpose, and he banged into the wall, hitting his elbow. He shot her a glare, and she grinned, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "And when did you figure this out?"

"Since two days again, when someone was making hand gestures at Spiderman," he pointed out.

Tessa's heart stopped for a few beats. Mental note: Never, ever, speak to Peter as Spiderman in public again. She didn't think anyone had been watching. She was on a crowded street corner, no one could have seen Peter on the edge of the building… unless they had known where to look. "Spiderman was there?" Tessa feigned innocence. "I was just making snap gestures at the sky. I, uh, had an audition, and while I was waiting for the light to change, I was practicing."

He raised his eyebrows. "You're an actress?"

"Aspiring," she squeaked.

He stopped her by putting his arm out in front of her. Tessa halted, her eyes staring straight ahead. She crossed her arms and bit her lip. "You're a horrible liar, Tessa. Give it up already."

"Why would it matter if I did?" she shot back, noticing how her voice rose. She cleared her throat and dropped it down low, so that no one else but Harry could hear. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

Her cheeks red, she stormed from the building.

She opened her phone and dialed Peter's number, pressing it to her ear. She was going to leave him one hell of a voicemail.

A/N; Sorry I haven't updated in forever! Sorry about spelling/grammar too, wanted to get this up fast! C:


End file.
